Salvia plant named &#39;Novasalred&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Salvia  plant was formed by controlled breeding followed by selection. Over a long blooming season attractive red blossoms are formed. The growth habit is compact and bushy. The blossoms are borne on sturdy stems. The plant can be readily asexually reproduced by the rooting of cuttings. Hardiness is displayed to at least U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 7. The plant is well suited for providing attractive colorful ornamentation in parks, gardens, public areas, and residential landscapes.

Botanical/commercial classification: Salvia hybrida/Salvia Plant.

Varietal denomination: cv. Novasalred.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar of Salvia hybrida was created by artificial pollination carried out at West Grove, Pa., U.S.A., during January 2011 wherein two parents were crossed which previously had been studied in the hope that they would contribute desired characteristics. The name designations of the female parent (i.e., seed parent) and male parent (i.e., pollen parent) are unknown.

The seeds resulting from the pollination were collected during 2011, were grown in tissue culture, the resulting young plants ere acclimated to greenhouse growing conditions in the fall of 2011, and were thereafter studied for the possible presence of novel attractive phenotypes. The resulting plants were physically and biologically different from each other. Selective study resulted in the identification of a single plant of the new cultivar. A plant of the present invention was selected during the summer of 2012 primarily in view of its abundance of attractive long-lasting true red flowers, vigorous green foliage, and sturdy stems. Had this new plant not been selected and preserved, it would have been lost to mankind.

The plant is a perennial that can be grown to advantage without protection in U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 7. Also, established plants have appeared to exhibit adaptability to U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 6.

It was found that the new Salvia cultivar possesses the following combination of characteristics:

-   -   (a) displays a compact and bushy growth habit with sturdy stems,     -   (b) forms in abundance over extended blooming season attractive         red blossoms,     -   (c) displays hardiness to at least U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No.         7,     -   (d) displays vigorous green foliage, and     -   (e) is well suited for providing attractive ornamentation.

The new cultivar of the present invention can be readily distinguished from other Salvia cultivars such as the ‘San Carlos Festival’ cultivar (non-patented), the ‘Ultra Violet’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,411), the ‘Brite Eyes’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,491), the Orchid Glow cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,520), and the ‘Golden Girl’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,997) through an inspection of the blossoms. More specifically, the ‘San Carlos Festival’ cultivar displays magenta blossoms, the ‘Brite Eyes’ cultivar displays red blossoms with a readily apparent white eye at the center and less sturdy branches, and the ‘Orchid Glow’ cultivar and ‘Ultra Violet’ cultivar display purple blossoms.

The new cultivar well meets the needs of the horticultural industry and can be grown to advantage as attractive colorful ornamentation in parks, gardens, public areas, and residential landscapes.

The new cultivar has been asexually reproduced by the rooting of cuttings for several generations. Such asexual reproduction as performed at West Grove, Pa., U.S.A., has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar are firmly fixed and stable and are strictly transmissible from one generation to another. Accordingly, the new cultivar asexually reproduces in a true-to-type manner from one generation to another.

The new cultivar has been named ‘Novasalred’, and will be marketed under the RED ARTIC BLAZE Trademark.

BRIEF DESCRIPITION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show the new cultivar as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same, in color illustrations of this character. The photographs were obtained during October 2013 at West Grove, Pa., U.S.A., and illustrate typical one-year-old plants while being grown outdoors.

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall compact and bushy growth habit of a flowering plant of the new cultivar while being grown in the ground.

FIG. 2 illustrates a closer view of the attractive red blossoms and foliage of the new cultivar while being grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors is that of The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S. Colour Chart) of London, England (1995). The description is based on the observation of typical specimens of the new cultivar at an age of approximately one year during August 2015 while growing indoors in containers at West Grove, Pa., U.S.A.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Compact and bushy, and generally fuller than that of             the ‘Brite Eyes’ cultivar.         -   Height.—Commonly up to approximately 40 cm on average.         -   Width.—Commonly approximately 45 cm on average.         -   Growth habit.—Perennial in U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone Nos. 7 to             11, with established plants exhibiting adaptability to             U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 6 during observations to date.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Leaf configuration.—Elliptic to oblong.         -   Leaf length.—Commonly approximately 4 cm on average.         -   Leaf width.—Commonly approximately 1.5 cm on average.         -   Leaf margin.—Entire.         -   Leaf texture.—Commonly slightly fleshy.         -   Leaf blade color.—Near Green Group 137B on the upper             surface, and near Green Group 137C on the under surface.         -   Leaf blade apex.—Acute to obtusely rounded.         -   Leaf blade base.—Mainly obtuse.         -   Scent.—Leaves commonly display a tangy fruity scent when             crushed.         -   Petiole shape.—Somewhat flattened.         -   Petiole length.—Variable and commonly approximately 1 cm on             average.         -   Petiole width.—Commonly approximately 1 mm.         -   Petiole color.—Near Green Group 143C. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Terminal raceme.         -   Diameter.—Commonly approximately 4 cm on average.         -   Length.—Commonly approximately 28 cm on average.         -   Number.—Commonly up to approximately 100 flowers per plant             on average are in bloom at a given time.         -   Configuration.—Tubular, and two-lipped.         -   Pedicel length.—Commonly approximately 5 mm on average.         -   Pedicel width.—Commonly less than 1 mm.         -   Pedicel color.—Near Green Group 143C and overlaid with             Red-Purple Group 59A.         -   Pedicel pubescence.—Present, with the pedicel being             puberulent.         -   Calyx shape.—Broadly campanulate and flared towards the             apex.         -   Calyx rib number.—Commonly 13 on average and longitudinally             disposed.         -   Calyx length.—Commonly approximately 1.5 cm on average.         -   Calyx width.—Commonly up to approximately 1.2 cm.         -   Calyx texture.—Puberulent on the upper and under surfaces.         -   Calyx color.—On the upper lobe near Green Group 143A             overlaid with Red-Purple Group 59A towards the apex, and on             the lower lobes near Green Group 143C overlaid with             Red-Purple Group 59A towards the apex.         -   Calyx lobe number.—3.         -   Calyx upper lobe number.—1.         -   Calyx upper lobe shape.—Acute.         -   Calyx upper lobe length.—Commonly approximately 1.2 cm on             average.         -   Calyx upper lobe width.—Commonly approximately 6 mm in width             on average.         -   Calyx lower lobe number.—2.         -   Calyx lower lobe shape.—Acute.         -   Calyx lower lobe length.—Commonly approximately 1.1 cm on             average.         -   Calyx lower lobe width.—Commonly approximately 7 mm on             average.         -   Corolla shape.—Tubular proximally to two-lipped distally.         -   Corolla length.—Commonly approximately 2.5 cm on average.         -   Corolla color.—The base commonly is near White Group 155C,             the tube is near Red Group 51A, and the lower lip is near             Red Group 50A. The white coloration at the base is visible             upon dissection only.         -   Corolla tube length.—Approximately 1.5 cm on average.         -   Corolla tube depth.—Approximately 6 mm on average.         -   Corolla tube lip number.—1.         -   Corolla upper lip number.—2.         -   Corolla upper lip shape.—Hood-like.         -   Corolla upper lip length.—Commonly approximately 9 mm             average.         -   Corolla lower lip length.—2, suborbicular.         -   Corolla lower lip shape.—Banner-like, and extended downward.         -   Corolla lower lip outline.—Obovate.         -   Corolla lower lip length.—Commonly approximately 1.2 cm on             average.         -   Corolla lower lip diameter at tip.—Approximately 1.2 cm on             average.         -   Style length.—Approximately 2.1 cm on average.         -   Style width.—Commonly less than 1 mm.         -   Style attachment site.—At four-lobed ovary between lobes.         -   Ovary.—Approximately 2 mm in length, approximately 2 mm in             diameter, and near Yellow-Green Group 145A in coloration.         -   Stamen number.—1.         -   Stamen shape.—Seesaw-like.         -   Filament length.—Approximately 1.2 cm on average.         -   Connective length.—Approximately 5 mm on average.         -   Anther length.—Approximately 2 mm on average.         -   Anther diameter.—Less than 1 mm.         -   Anther color.—Near Yellow-Orange Group 18A.         -   Anther attachment site.—At outer end of the connective.         -   Pollen.—Moderately formed.         -   Fertility.—Good. -   Development:     -   -   Vegetation.—Well-branched with sturdy stems.         -   Blooming.—Displays a strong propensity to reblossom from             spring through fall.         -   Winter hardiness.—The plant is a perennial that can be grown             in U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone Nos. 7 to 11, with established             plants exhibiting adaptability in U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone             No. 6.         -   Disease resistance.—Typical for Salvia with no particular             sensitivity to disease having been encountered during             observations to date. -   The new ‘Novasalred’ cultivar has not been observed under all     possible environmental conditions. Accordingly, it is possible that     the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light     intensity and duration, cultural practices, and other environmental     conditions. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct Salvia plant characterized by the following combination of characteristics: (a) displays a compact and bushy growth habit with sturdy stems, (b) forms in abundance over an extended blooming season attractive red blossoms, (c) displays hardiness to at least U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 7, (d) displays vigorous green foliage, and (e) is well suited for providing attractive ornamentation; substantially as illustrated and described. 